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On July 29, 2016, USDA's Food and Nutrition Service published the final rule “National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program: Eliminating Applications Through Community Eligibility as Required by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010” (81 FR 50194). This memorandum reminds state and local program operators about a provision in the final rule effective on July 1, 2019, relating to free and reduced price eligibility for students transferring between LEAs during the school year.

This memorandum details guidance on the annual Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) notification and publication requirements. This memorandum also reminds state agencies that the statutory election deadline for local educational agencies to elect CEP for School Year 2019-20 is June 30, 2019.

This memorandum details guidance on the annual Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) notification and publication requirements and provides information on the USDA-developed reporting template. This memorandum also reminds State agencies of the statutory June 30 election deadline for local educational agencies (LEAs) to elect CEP.

Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) Planning & Implementation Guidance consolidates existing CEP guidance, policy, and best practices from the local level. Additionally, the guidance includes new information codified in the final rule, National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program

The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) is a meal service option for local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools in high-poverty areas. CEP allows participating LEAs and schools to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students without the burden of collecting household applications.

The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), as authorized by the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA), 42 USC 1759a(a)(1)(F), is a proven and successful approach to ensuring that children in low income communities have access to healthy school meals.

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide guidance on the use of school and census data to establish area eligibility in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), and the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). In addition, this memorandum consolidates previous guidance and simplifies the area eligibility determination process to reduce administrative burden on State agencies and Program operators.